11 Compelling Arguments for Mobile IT Investments

The Business Case for Mobile Investment: Grounded Mobility will reduce the need for in-person meetings, cutting travel costs.

As indicated in past features, effective CIOs realize that they can't justify major IT acquisitions based strictly upon tech-focused criterion. To win over influential members of the C-suite, they must introduce convincing business-benefiting arguments to greenlight a significant spend. In a section of the recent book, Mobile Strategy: How Your Company Can Win by Embracing Mobile Technologies (IBM Press), author Dirk Nicol elaborates upon a number of compelling cases for increased mobility capabilities. It's already clear that many companies are pursuing these initiatives, if simply because employee and users are driving the demand: Nearly nine of ten enterprises have tablets and smartphones connecting to networks. By 2015, mobile app development projects will outnumber native PC projects by a ratio of 4-to-1, research shows. But to gain unwavering commitment from influence makers, CIOs should consider presenting these bottom-line benefiting value points. Nicol is IBM's director of developer communities, and conceived and led the launch of the developerWorks site, which serves as IBM's mechanism for establishing a loyal worldwide developer community. Previously, Dirk led IBM's mobile strategy and product management. For more about the book, click here.